#sandsledding

[nuclearspringworldbuilding]

Sandships

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Originally posted to r/worldbuilding, I'm moving my stuff to Tumblr because of the recent Reddit shenanigans. Note, this comic was made purely to flesh out the world, so there's no real story or characters.

This was originally 2 posts on Reddit. The first 2 pages were in the first post, and the last 3 pages in the 2nd. I made the 2nd post as a retcon because people in the first post pointed out tons of issues with using wax.

Sandships and sandsleds must have their skis coated with resin to reduce friction and protect them from being worn down. This resin is gathered from waterbulbs, a large bulbous "tree" that collects during the rainy season then stores it in a cavity for the rest of the year. Many animals have adapted to break through the bark to get at the water inside so they have developed a sap that is held inside the bark, which seeps out when it's damaged, hardens in the sunlight and covers up the hole. This resin happens to be very slippery, so it was used by Larothans to replace the earlier wax that was used to coat sandsled skis. This new lubricant allowed sandsleds to get bigger eventually resulting in sandships.

I originally planned for them to use wax like modern-day sandskiiers/ sandboarders/ sandsleders, but when I posted that on reddit I was informed that those waxes wear off extremely quickly and have to be reapplied after every ride, so I ended up changing it to a resin from a fictional plant thus circumventing the realism issue.

The bit about waterbulbs in different regions being bred for less resin originally started as just a way to justify why this wasn't brought up in the earlier pages but I actually quite like the idea and might expand on it more.

Thanks to u/Astro_Alphard for helping me with this idea.

**Replies to useful comments on the original post: **(paraphrased)

Is the sand magical in some way to make it easier?

No, that doesn't fit my world's magic system, but someone else mentioned that extremely fine-grained sand would reduce friction, and increase the number of dust storms (which is something I want), so that's canon now.

Where does the wood to build ships come from?

Trees live near most oases, some wood is imported from wetter places, and there are a few species, such as the waterbulb, that have adapted to live in the deep desert.

[ajauntwithjoy]

“She was a wild woman. She couldn’t sit still, happiness came from adventure and the desire to find something or perhaps someone who helped her see everything beautiful in this world.” — Yadira Pantoja • • • • • @greatsanddunesnps @visitcolorado @nationalparkgeek @nationalparkservice #greatsanddunes #greatsanddunesnationalpark #findyourpark #coloradolive #nationalparkservice #nps #nationalparkgeek #forceofnature #wildwoman #sandboarding #sandsledding #outdoorwomen #wildernessbabes #earthgirllifestyle #womeninthewild #girlgetoutside #coloradogram #femaletravelbloggers #stayrad #sheisnotlost (at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bop21ugnClu/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=hxu9uizqb4of

[naturetechfam]

No one took a photo of me all weekend, so decided I better hop in a #selfie to prove I was there! #lgv20 wide angle selfie rock! Off for a few more #sandsledding runs! #greatsanddunes #NationalParks #FindYourPark #parkchat #colorado (at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve)

[twinlensweddings-blog]

“Every sunset which I witness inspires me with the desire to go to a west as distant and as fair as that into which the Sun goes down. Eastward I go only by force; but Westward I go free." Can't get this outta my head, thinking up ideas for a shoot in West Texas next month. I sure do miss the desert. #west #westtexas #monahans #monahanssandhills #sandsledding (at Monahans Sandhills State Park)

[pencilbrony]

Sandsledding Never again

[bingwallpaper]

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, USA

The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve boasts 230-metre sand dunes – the tallest in the United States – that cover approximately 78 square kilometres. But these towering sand dunes are just one feature of a Colorado landscape that includes conifer forests, alpine lakes and wetlands. The park and preserve even encompasses stretches of tundra at higher elevations, where it is close to the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Initially proclaimed a national monument in 1932 by President Herbert Hoover, the territory was redesignated as Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve on 13 September 2004, and the size of the park was quadrupled. The park and preserve provide ample and wildly diverse activities for visitors, from sandboarding and sandsledding down the steep dunes to hiking, camping, horseback riding and biking.

[nationalparkposters]

Celebrate Great Sand Dunes National Park's Anniversary - September 12th

Celebrate Great Sand Dunes National Park's Anniversary - September 12th: One of Colorado's lesser known national parks is Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve. The tallest dunes in North America are the centerpiece in a diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, conifer and aspen forests, alpine lakes, and tundra. Here you can experience this diversity through hiking, sand sledding, splashing in Medano Creek, wildlife watching, and more! The park and preserve are always open, so you can also experience night skies and nocturnal wildlife. The park contains the tallest sand dunes in North America and cover an area of about 30 square miles. It is estimated to contain over 5 billion cubic meters of sand. The sand dunes lie on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley and are up to 750 feet tall. Sediments from the surrounding mountains filled the valley over geologic time periods. After lakes within the valley receded, exposed sand was blown by the predominant southwest winds toward the Sangre de Cristos, eventually forming the dunefield over an estimated tens of thousands of years. The four primary components of the Great Sand Dunes system are the mountain watershed, the dunefield, the sand sheet, and the sabkha. Ecosystems within the mountain watershed include alpine tundra, subalpine forests, montane woodlands, and riparian zones. Visitors must walk across the wide and shallow Medano Creek to reach the dunes in spring and summer months. The creek typically has a peak flow from late May to early June in most years. From July through April, the creek is usually no more than a few inches deep, if there is any water at all. Hiking is permitted throughout the dunes with the warning that the sand surface temperature may reach 150°F in summer. Sandboarding and sandsledding are popular activities, both done on specially designed equipment which can be rented just outside the park entrance or in Alamosa. Visitors with street-legal four-wheel drive vehicles may continue past the end of the park's main road to Medano Pass on 22 miles of unpaved road, crossing the stream bed of Medano Creek nine times and traversing 4 miles of deep sand. Hunting is permitted in the preserve during the months of autumn, while hunting is prohibited within national park boundaries at all times. The preserve encompasses nearly all of the mountainous areas north and east of the dunefield, up to the ridgeline of the Sangre de Cristos. Over 250 species of birds have been documented at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. In summer months, many species nest here in tundra, forests, grasslands, or wetlands including white-tailed ptarmigans, peregrine falcons, mountain bluebirds, northern pygmy owls and burrowing owls, golden eagles and bald eagles, and sandhill cranes bring excitement each spring when they return by the thousands to the San Luis Valley. Evidence of human habitation in the San Luis Valley dates back about 11,000 years. The first historic peoples to inhabit the area were the Southern Ute Tribe, while Apaches and Navajo also have cultural connections in the dunes area. In the late 17th century, Don Diego de Vargas—a Spanish governor of Santa Fe de Nuevo México—became the first European on record to enter the San Luis Valley. Juan Bautista de Anza, Zebulon Pike, John C. Frémont, and John Gunnison all travelled through and explored parts of the region in the 18th and 19th centuries. The explorers were soon followed by settlers who ranched, farmed and mined in the valley starting in the late 19th century. The park was first established as a national monument in 1932 to protect it from gold mining and the potential of a concrete manufacturing business. The park was originally designated Great Sand Dunes National Monument on March 17, 1932 by President Herbert Hoover. The original boundaries protected an area of 35,528 acres. A boundary change and redesignation as a national park and preserve was authorized on November 22, 2000 and then established by an act of Congress on September 24, 2004. The park encompasses 107,342 acres while the preserve protects an additional 41,686 acres for a total of 149,028 acres. Click here to see the Great Sand Dunes National Park poster. Rob Decker is a photographer and graphic artist with a single great passion for our National Parks! When he was just 19, he studied under Ansel Adams in Yosemite. Now he's on a journey to create original, WPA-style artwork for each of our national parks! Click here to learn more about Rob's work and The National Park Poster Project.   https://national-park-posters.com/blogs/national-park-posters/celebrate-great-sand-dunes-national-parks-anniversary-september-12th?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=Sendible&utm_campaign=RSS

[marriedwithmaps]

Have you ever tried sand boarding or sledding? You can rent them at Bruneau Sand Dunes in Idaho but boy is it tiring climbing up those dunes. Way more friction than snow but still fun to try. . . . . #idaho #idaholife #sanddunes #bruneausanddunes #sandboarding #sandsledding #pretty #exercise #usatravel https://ift.tt/2QvAjt9

[aj-martin]

Sledding ... SoCal style #sandsledding #whoneedssnow (at Playa Del Rey Beach)

[ajauntwithjoy]

Sliding into the weekend like…🛷 • • I’m feeling so incredibly blessed this holiday season. 🙏 I have a fun full time job along with my other side hustles. My babe is home (for now…more on that tomorrow). We found a new roommate to move in with us soon. And I’m finally starting to build a savings 💵 and be able to afford a somewhat “normal” life. (And by “normal” life, I don’t mean ending my travels and settling down with a 9-5, or whatever the stereotypical “normal” life looks like. I just mean being able to do things like buy actual groceries that aren’t top ramen 🍜 or afford a suitcase with all 4 wheels still attached and no 🍆-shaped nail polish remover stain inside of it. 😆 #adulting) • • I’m also feeling incredibly dumbfounded — Check my stories to see what the boyfriend and I won at each of our works Christmas parties! 🎁😲 Let’s just say that one of these prizes will have me seriously stepping my Instagram game up! Like, way up. #hinthint 🚁 • • What are you grateful for this holiday season? • • • • • #greatsanddunes #greatsanddunesnationalpark #tistheseason #holidays #merrychristmastome #blessed #grateful #outdoorwomen #wildernessbabes #earthgirllifestyle #womeninthewild #womenwhohike #girlgetoutside #forceofnature #findyourpark #visitcolorado #colorado #dji #djimavicair #comingsoon #sandboarding #sandsledding #outdooradventures (at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bra0Ky5FCcY/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1j1o40lnaaep8

[naturetechfam]

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A post shared by Nature Tech Family (@naturetechfam)

We were a little out of practice on our #sandsledding this morning! But we got better as the day went. #greatsanddunes #NationalParks #FindYourPark #parkchat #nationalparkgeek @greatsanddunesnps (at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve)

[ramyautomotive]

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A post shared by RAMY Automotive | 4x4 | GCC (@ramyautomotive)

Kids! Don't do this at home. Repost from @05tt1 #ramy4x4 #sand #desert #offroad #dunebashing #nissan #patrol #nissanme #sledding #sandsledding

[therealkarlward]

Awesome day at the Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. Like a kid in a huge sand box! More to come... #sanddunesnationalpark #sandsledding (at Great Sand Dunes National Park)